AC, DC or hybrid power solutions for today's telecommunications facilities

This paper describes alternative design approaches for powering modern telecommunications facilities having both AC- and DC-powered equipment, including the use of a DC plant with inverters for the AC loads, a DC plant for the DC loads and AC UPS for the AC loads, and an AC UPS for the AC loads with rectifiers for the DC loads. The use of standby generators in lieu of long battery backup times is also discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of the various design approaches are presented along with some guidelines as to what circumstances favor one approach over another.